Summary statistics are essential tools in the field of statistics, providing a concise overview of a dataset’s key characteristics. They help in simplifying complex data by summarizing it into a few representative values, such as the mean, median, mode, range, and standard deviation. These statistics enable researchers and analysts to quickly grasp the central tendency, variability, and distribution of the data, facilitating easier comparisons and interpretations. However, it is crucial to approach summary statistics with caution, as they may not always reflect the underlying data accurately, especially in the presence of outliers or skewed distributions.